Alfred b



(No Model.)

A. B. GAWLER.

. BLOTTER.

No. 561,104. Patented June 2, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED B. GAIVLER, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BLOTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561 ,104, dated June 2, 1896.

Application filed November 16, 1895. Serial No- 569,170. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. GAWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blotters; and I do hereby declare. the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in blotters, and has for its object to provide a hand blotter or blotting-pad which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction and effective in operation.

My invention consists of a hand blotter or blotting-pad having a holder adapted to receive and removably retain a number of sheets of blotting-paper therein in such a manner that the blotting-paper will have a spring action and thus be capable of presenting a convex blotting-surface which will become par- I allel with the surface of the paper to be blotted when the blotter is depressed in the operation of blotting and, because of this spring action, immediately return to its original convex shape when released or raised from the paper.

My invention further consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts more fully hereinafter described in the specification and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view, and Fig. 3 a vertical sectional view of a modification.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, and in which like letters of reference indicate similar parts, A designates the holder, and B the blotting-paper therein. The holder is preferably made in one piece and of any spring material-such, for instance, as brass, steel, &c.-stamped or otherwise formed to present a handhold O, which in this instance is shown as cylindrical in form, but may be made oblong or in such other shape as desired. Depending from the part 0 are two arms D D, which have their lower ends turned slightly outward, as shown at E, to provide bearing-surfaces for the blotting-paper at the points 3 and 4 and prevent it from being broken. The arms D D of the holder have portions partially cut out and turned inward to form spring-catches F for the purpose of holding and clamping the blotting-paper securely within the holder.

The parts of the blotter are assembled in the following manner: The blotting-paper is first folded at the points 1 and 2, but not so as to break it, and the ends are bent slightly at 3 and 4 and then brought together and inserted between the sides D E of the holder A.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the spring-catches are dispensed with and the arms punched in at several points to form projections G to aid in holding the blotting-paper in place. In this instance the arms of the holder are depended upon entirely for the spring action, while in the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the springcatches cooperate with the sides in holding the blotting-paper.

Although the spring-arms of the holder are shown as provided either with spring-catches or projections, these may both be dispensed with and the holder made of material that has sufficient spring in itself to hold the blottingpaper in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a blotter, the holder provided with spring-arms in combination with the blottingpaper having the ends inserted between and held by said arms, and the body portion bent to form a spring or elastic blotting-surface, substantially as described.

2. In a blotter, the holder provided with spring arms and supplementary springcatches thereon, in combination with the blotting-paper the ends of which are inserted and held between the arms by the said springcatches, and the body portion bent to form a spring or elastic blotting-surface, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED B. GAIVLER.

WVitnesses:

J 09. H. BLAoKwooD, ARTHUR STABLER. 

